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Sunday, June 7, 2009

While in Chicago, we toured many gardens, several of which I have yet to report on (and I will). There were a few things in those gardens that garnered quite a bit of attention, such as the fabulous use of Alliumsof all sorts, the hillside of poppies, and the Geum triflorum, also known as Prairie Smoke.

I've grown Geum in my garden for several years now. I have the single orange, called 'Cooky' ...

...and the red 'Double Bloody Mary'...

Geum 'Double Bloody Mary'

Three plants of each are planted alternately in a rectangle. 'Cooky' is one of the first perennials to bloom in my garden in spring and just about the time it's done, 'Double Bloody Mary' starts in. If I deadhead 'Cooky,' it will rebloom in summer, after 'Double Bloody Mary' has finished.It's as if one patiently waits its turn, neither wanting to steal the show from the other.

Last winter, as I was browsing through High Country Gardens' catalog, a different kind of Geum caught my eye. Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke - looked pretty darn cool with its fuzzy heads and I had to have it. I ordered four of them and planted them at the very back of Max's Garden.

Geum triflorum in my garden

Less than a month after receiving and planting them, three were dead and one was thriving. I wrote to High Country Gardens to let them know and they immediately sent out replacements. All of them survived our brutal 2008/2009 winter and are doing well and thrilling me with their seed heads, just like those in Chicago.Though they spread from their roots, they also can be grown from seed, so I'm going to collect some of the seed this year to try and grow more.

Spring Flingers - I know several of you are wanting these for your own garden and High Country Gardens now has them at 25% off, so get over there already, before they run out!

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comments:

I'm growing a guem--a true orange variety, which I love--for the first time this year. I was also very taken by the Geum triflorum at Lurie. A friend of mine grows it but says hers doesn't get as poofy as those at Lurie and she has no idea why. I'll be interested in how yours do! (I like High County Gardens. I ordered two zone 6 (I'm 5) Hesperaloe yuccifoliums from them, which I was so taken with in Denver, hoping to push its zone. One died and one is not quite dead yet. At least geum is in our zone!! :) (Can't sleep--mosquito bites are itching!)

So pretty, I have a red geum Mrs. Bradshaw and it is lovely. But it has been it's best this year (#3) it takes a bit for them to take off I think. Most people have never seen this plant and I get lots of comments on the bright red blooms. Mine has been blooming for about a month, and will not bloom again, but the foilage is nice. I'll have to look for the other, and I love that garden company! I look at that catalog all the time.

The fuzzies are wonderful! I could set up my tri-pod / macro lens and play with my aperture settings for HOURS!!!! I love the poppies you share as well. I recently added some poppies to one of my beds and it is doing well. I have had numerous blooms since adding it in April. I bought this poppy at WALMART For $3!!! Amazin.... this is gardening for TODAY! Cheap and successful!

I got prairie smoke when I installed my rain garden. I found it easy to grow and fun! I don't have any other flower like it in my garden. And it sure does draw attention being planted right next to the sidewalk in front of our house.

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